Still feeling that Phantom Phil after the shutout last night.
The Leafs need better goaltending and another scoring forward to back up Kadri and JVR. They're the only real scoring threats at our forward position right now, and they're not doing much scoring.
i meant to respond to this post
do you mean for this season or the future? what is everyone in leafs-gaf thoughts about tanking vs. winning this season. what are your hopes/expectations? are there people actually hoping for wins? obviously i'm on the side of the tank. the thing is we already had another scoring forward and good goaltending, kessel and bernier in 13/14 (.923 sv%, he looked great that year, was stealing us games as i remember it. i feel like if/when we trade him there's a good chance he'll have a dubnyk-like renaissance on a team that isn't a tirefire) and we saw what that got us. my real nightmare is that we didn't collapse the last two seasons and instead of having nylander and marner just have a hopeless team spinning its wheels. unfortunately i'm hoping for as many one goal losses as it takes to secure last place and the fourth overall pick. playing structurally sound but losing due to a lack of talent is my ideal situation (we're third in corsi brahs!)
we hopefully already have scoring forwards coming in the ahl and ohl. and i think we'll either draft a goalie or maybe if/when we're actually looking like a decent team then trade for a younger up and coming goalie or someone established or sign someone. we shouldn't worry about a goalie right now, unfortunately bernier is playing ideally for our long-term best interest.
i've just tuned out like sabres fans did the last two years. i didn't even watch highlights of the last game. i'm not stressed about it or anything because i'm not watching the games. i can go this year without watching the games, not like i have to have it in my life. i watch marlies games, if you don't have hockeystreams there's a stream posted on the leafs reddit for every marlies game. i'll watch regularly next year when nylander and maybe marner are up.
like, if you guys keep tanking and inevitably lose the lottery to the Oilers, will it still be worth it?
what is the alternative? a tenth place finish and the fourteenth overall pick? there are more quality prospects than matthews available, a potential franchise d for one. i've already accepted that the oilers will have center depth of mcdavid-matthews-rnh-draisaitl next year.
I dunno about the depth but the top three have all been pretty highly touted. Matthews, Chychrun, and Puljuujujlarvi, I think.
edit: also Tkachuk.
Matthews has been said to be better than Eichel by some scouts.
laine and puljujarvi are considered about equal right now i think
also here is a bonus gif from the last marlies game of nylander showing some pretty boy #grit
